Newspaper Page Text
jf i Houston Iricmu' if
(the .ijcmrnal
r * mv
■ "'ml I
l |
_ XA
Chris Kinnas
Investment Advice
What does falling
dollar mean to
you?
If you follow economic
news, you know that the
U.S. dollar has dropped
sharply against every other
major world currency.
Economists and govern
ment officials are keenly
interested in the falling dol
lar but what does it mean
to you as an individual
investor?
You may find that the
declining dollar presents
both opportunities and chal
lenges. On the positive side,
the falling dollar may lead
to increased demand for
U.S. exports, which could
help many companies
and boost their attractive
ness to investors. On the
other hand, a continually
dropping dollar can cause
foreign investors to keep
their money closer to home.
To get them back, we may
have to start paying higher
interest rates. And higher
rates can hurt stock prices;
as it becomes more costly to
borrow, companies may
postpone their expansion
plans, resulting in slower
growth and lower profitabil
ity.
However, higher rates
don’t hit all market sectors
in the same way so you
can’t just assume that ris
ing rates are bad for the
stocks you own or are con
sidering buying.
Seek Diversification
and Quality
If you try to anticipate,
and respond to, the mar
ket’s reaction to a falling
dollar and rising interest
rates, you could end up
making many unnecessary
transactions. As an alterna
tive, try to build an “all
weather” portfolio by diver
| sifying among a wide range
of stocks, along with bonds,
certificates of deposit, gov
ernment securities and
other investment vehicles.
By spreading your money
around a variety of invest
ments, you can blunt the
jolt of economic forces on
your portfolio.
| You also can invest in
quality to try to minimize
the impact on your portfolio
of the potentially harmful
effects of a falling dollar and
rising interest rates. Before
you buy a stock, learn
everything you can about
the company. Does it have
an experienced manage
ment team? Are its products
highly regarded? Has it
earned profits in a variety of
economic environments?
Buy high-quality stocks,
and hold them for the long
term no matter what
happens to interest rates or
the dollar.
Construct a “Bond
Ladder”
Rising interest rates may
strongly affect your fixed
income investments. If
rates rise substantially, the
prices of your existing
bonds will likely drop; no
one will pay you full price
for your bonds when they
can buy new ones that pay
higher interest rates.
See KINNAS, page 6 A
#1 Noon
Buffet
1-79 BkH 1» » »7«—77
TUESDAY,
MAY 10, 2005
Ribbon cut for Workout Express
i „- "T£r : —— • ' . 1 ■ —— '■ — lll ■ mi
latel I- * 9 I ' *■ * ■ u
[jrjr
$
M|| '.-'-mm ■ MW . In \ S -
. ' JF' * - ~Yfi ' ' sP**— ■-y-S ■ >
submitted
The Warner Robins Area Chamber of Commerce conducted a ribbon cutting and
grand opening recently for Workout Express. Workout Express, located at 1238 S.
Houston Lake Road, offers 30 minutes circuit training for both woman and men.
GSW award
named (or Jones
OGLETHORPE - Sheila
Jones, executive director of
the Perry
Convention
and Visitors
Bureau, has
been honored
by the Greek
Council of
Georgia|
Southwestern
State
University.
The council has created
the Sheila Averett Jones
Campus . Involvement
Award, which is awarded to
any Greek organization that
has the highest score each
year in the campus involve
ment area. The award is
given every spring during
the leadership portion of the
honors convocation.
Jones is a 1992 graduate
of GSW, and worked for the
college as Director of
Campus Life from 1995-
2004. Jones became a mem
ber of the Zeta Tau Alpha
(To send in your event for the
Business Calendar, fax the
details to 988-1181, e-mail to
hhj@evansnewspapers.com or
mail to Houston Home Journal,
P.O. Box 1910, Perry, GA 31069.
The deadline for inclusion is 5
p.m. Fridays.)
Tuesday, May 17: Starting
Your Own Business
WARNER ROBINS - This
seminar, sponsored by the
University of Georgia Business
Outreach Services Small
Business Development Center,
will cover market research,
legal structures, estimating
start-up costs and cash flow
projection, financing alterna
tives, failure factors and busi
ness planning. A detailed busi
ness start-up workbook and
other handouts will be provid
ed. Cost is S4O; prepaid regis
tration is required. Class will be
from 6-8 p.m. at the ATDC
Building on Osigian Boulevard.
(478) 751-6592.
Business
OPBI FOB BUSINESS
BUSINESSPEOPLE
sorority while in college. She
had also previously been
chosen twice as GSW’s staff
member of the year by the
students.
“I feel very honored about
having this award named
after me,” Jones said. “GSW
was my home both as a stu
dent and a professional for
many years and will always
be an important part of who
I am.
“I am a firm believer that
a college students’ involve
ment in co-curricular activi
ties is crucial to their leader
ship development. Being
involved outside the class
room gives students a ‘real
life’ approach to growing
and becoming productive
citizens by learning the
value of being a team player
as well as a strong leader in
life.”
- Sherri Martin
Gayton lectures in D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Dr.
Johnny Gayton, M.D., of
Eyesight Associates attend
JONES
BUSINESS CALENDAR
Thursday, May 19:
Minority Business
Conference
FORT VALLEY - A free
Minority Business Conference,
cosponsored by the Fort Valley
State University Rural
Business Outreach Institute
and the University of Georgia
Small Business Development
Center, will be held at the
Pettigrew Center on the cam
pus of FVSU. The conference
3^
Karunaker R. Sripathi, MI)
American Board of Internal Medicine
announces the opening of his new office
New Patients Welcome • Walk in Patients Welcome
Same Day Appointments
1031 Keith Drive* Perry
987-2578
"Have Cameras, Will Travel"
ed the American Society of
Cataract and Refractive
Surgeons annual program
April 15-17.
Gayton lectured on
EconoPred Plus, an eye drop
used to decrease inflamma
tion following eye surgery.
He also lectured on the
Infinit Cataract Removal
System and presented a
video taped at Eyesight
Associates demonstrating
the easy and efficiency of
setting up the Infiniti sys
tem.
Gayton also participated
in a course dealing with sur
face ablation (LASER) to
improve results for patients
who are dissatisfied with
their LASIK surgery.
He was also selected to
moderate two sessions,
Cataract Removal
Techniques and the Multi-
Focal Implant Program (a
new way of enabling
patients to have distance
and near vision following
lensectomy or cataract sur
gery).
- Staff reports
begins at 9 a.m., followed by a
working lunch at noon and
individual and group consulta
tions from 1-5 p.m. Topics will
include common myths about
financing a business, options in
financing, Small Business
Administration programs, non
traditional sources of financing,
putting together a
proposal/business plan, and
dealing with credit issues. To
register, call (478) 751-6592.
TURNER
I H TCGR4I l >
Aerial I Ik t< iaai)h>
li<ml iiimci • 4/S-!))-ll tl«r4/N-UMM I
Managing your boss
This column often deals
with how to use your
influence with those for
whom you have designat
ed authority. Not today.
This week’s column
deals with those awkward
occasions in life when you
have to “manage up.” Yep,
occasionally, you find
yourself in a position
where you are a better
problem-solver, a better
problem-preventer, a bet
ter relationship-manager
than your boss.
Let’s say you work for
Jim. Jim may be a good
guy, but somehow, he just
sees things differently
from you. Maybe Jim’s
been promoted beyond his
level of competence.
Maybe he’s just working
those final few years
before he retires. Maybe
he’s irresponsible in meet
ing commitments.
Or maybe Jim is a dicta
tor, barking orders and
expecting you and every
body else to drop what
you’re doing and attend to
what he thinks is impor
tant at this moment.
Maybe Jim is inconsis
tent, giving different
direction each time he
approaches you.
You get the picture.
How do you deal with
such a situation? How do
you manage your boss?
Oh, it can be so tempt
ing to shirk responsibility
and do only what Jim tells
you to do. You could let
your department flounder
- after all, it’s not really
your responsibility. But
you’re just not made that
way, are you? Nope, not a
possibility.
Or you could just take it
upon yourself to protect
everybody else in your
department from Jim.
Maybe you even work to
protect Jim from himself.
Whoa, now that’s a
demanding challenge -
are you sure you want to
take that on?
You know you have to
do something productive
to maintain your sanity,
but managing Jim just
seems impossible. Is there
anything you can do?
Yes, but it won’t be easy,
and it probably won’t be
fun. However, it can be
done!
First, you need to focus
on managing expecta
tions. When Jim fails to
establish desired out
comes, you work to learn
what’s required. With
other individuals who
might be involved, you
Assessing Your
Leadership Skills
-SBS/person
A i
m
|16589
A new storage facility opening soon!
Pick up and delivery service
offered to all Perry residents.
Receive 3 months FREE storage
with a 12 month pre-paid contract,
or 2 months FREE with a 6 month
prepaid contract!
Call Today!
t m
Dennis Hooper
.. . even greater things .. .
dhooper2@juno.com
establish clear account
abilities of who will do
what by when. Because of
his level in the hierarchy,
Jim may have access to
opportunities, money, per
sonnel, tools, workspace,
or other resources - fig
ure out how to tap into
these resources. And you
determine, from Jim or
others, if there are any
boundaries or guidelines
that have to be followed
along the way.
Next, you should seek
out emotional support for
your situation, from
either inside or outside
your department. Maybe
another manager else
where in the organization
will serve as a mentor,
confidant, or role model.
Maybe a colleague has
compassion on your situa
tion and will agree to
stand with you - not to
attack or challenge Jim,
but to support and help
you deal with this awk
ward situation.
Direct your supporters
to remind you not to take
Jim’s poor treatment per
sonally. Ask them to help
you be unusually creative
in handling the variety of
dilemmas that come your
way because of Jim.
When you have a boss
who won’t or can’t evalu
ate options with you and
collaboratively make hard
decisions, a plan for
progress is still required!
You also have to execute
the plan, despite the
resistance Jim may throw
in your path.
Lots of people have had
bad bosses - you are not
the first! Those who have
preceded you will attest
that you can learn a lot
about yourself and about
leadership working for a
poor boss. It may not be
fun, but you’ll have many
great stories to tell! And
you’ll be a more skillful
leader for the experience!
F. Dennis Hooper
Certified
Leadership Development Coach
Building leaders and
organizations of excellence
(478) 988-0237 dhooper2@juno.com
'Sunshine
MINI-WAREHOUSE
987-7166
PAGE 5A
-11731